Expansion double-shovel corn and cotton planter



(No Model.) 2 Shets-Sheet R. E. DRAPER.

EXPANSION DOUBLE SHOVEL CORN AND ooTToN PLANTER.

N0.-358,436. Patented Mar. 1, .1887.

2 S heets.Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

' R. E. DRAPER.

4e EXPANSION DOUBLE SHOVEL CORN AND, COTTON PLANTER.

No. 358,436.' Patented Mar. 1, 1887.

UNITED STATES PATENT Orrice.

RICHARD EDWARD DRAPER, OF OOOKES POINT, TEXAS.

EXPANSION DOUBLE-SHOVEL CORN AND COTTON PLANTER.

' SPECIFIOATIONforming part of Letters Patent No. 358,436, dated March 1, 1887,

Application filed October 6, 1886. Serial No. 215,482. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be itknown that I, RICHARD EDWARD DRA PER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Gookes Point, in the county of Burleson and State of Texas, have invented a new and a cotton-planter. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view of the same. Fig. 3 is a top plan View. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal secdiverging beam, B.

tional view of my invention when adapted for use as a corn-planter. Fig. 5 is a transverse vertical sectional view of the same. Fig. 6 is a top plan view.

A represents the draft-beam, to one side of which, at its front end, is bolted a rearwardly- To the opposite side of the front portion of the draft-beam is hinged a similar beam, 0, the front end 'of which is provided with a clevis or strap, D, which engages an eye formed at the rear end of aplate, E, which is bolted to one side-of the draftbeam.

From the foregoing description it will be readily understood that the beam 0 may be swung toward or from the beam B, and thereby regulate the distance between the rear ends of the said beams.

F represents a screw, which extends transversely through the beams B and 0, near the rear ends thereof. Nuts G are fitted on the said screw and bear against the inner sides of the beams, and similar nuts, H, are fitted on the outer end of the screw, and bear against the outer sides of the beams. By adjusting these nuts G andH the beams may be secured at any desired distance apart.

I represents a hopper, which is provided with vertical side walls, inclined end walls, and has a longitudinal slot, K, in the bottom. In the sides of the hopper, near the upper edges thereof, are made vertical open slots L,

adapted to receive a rock-shaft, M, which is provided at one end with a crank, N. Blocks 0 are bolted to the sides of the hopper and bear upon the upper sides of the rock-shaft, and thus retain the latter in the slots L. By bolting the said blocks 0 to the sides of the hopper they may be readily removed from the hopper when it is desired to detach the rockshaft therefrom. The hopper is bolted to the upper sides of the beams B and C after the latterare adjusted to the desired position, and fitting against the rear end of the draftbeam, and secured between the beams B and O, is an inclined spout, P, the upper end of which communicates with the slot in the bottom of the hopper.

To the under side of the beamsB and O are bolted rearwardly and downwardly extending bars R, and in the rear end of the said bars is journaled a shaft, S, which is provided at one end with a crank, T, and has at its center a walking-wheel, U, which is firmly secured to the shaft and rotates therewith. A pitman, V, connects the crank T with the crank N.

Near the front end of the draft-beam is attached a standard, W, which is adapted for the attachment of a furrow-opening plow, W, and is braced in position by an inclined rod, W which is connected to the said standard, and extends upwardly through an opening that is made in the beam A. The upper end of the said rod is screw-threaded and is provided with a clamping-nut, by means of which the rod may be tightened from time to time.

X represents a pair of standards, which are bolted to the rear ends of the beams B and O, on the outer' sides of the said beams, the said standards being adapted for the attachment of covering-shovels X. Handles Y are bolted at their lower ends to the beams B and O, and are supported at the desired inclination on the said beams by means of brace-bars Z.

To the central portion of the rock-shaft, which is journaled in the hopper, is attached a hub, L, from which radiates a series of stirring-arms, L These stirring-arms are sufficient in length to enter the slot in the bottom of the hopper.

When thus equipped, the machine is adapted for use as a cotton-planter, and the operation thereof is as follows: As the machine is drawn along the ground the fnrrower-opener opens the furrow and the walking-wheel, by contact with the ground, is rotated, thereby imparting motion to the shaft S. This rotary motion of the shaft Simparts a rocking motion to the shaft M, by reason of the cranks and the pitmen hereinbefore described, and as the shaft M is rocked its stirring'arms force the cottonseeds which are placed in the hopper downwardly through the opening in the bottom of the hopper, and they are conveyed by the spout into the fnrrow'made by the furrowopener. The covering-plows, which work in rear of the furrow-opener and on opposite sides thereof, cover the seeds as they are placed l in the furrow and thus complete the operation of planting.

When it is desired to use the machine for planting corn, peas, beans, or similar grains, I remove the rock-shaft M from the hopper and place in the bottom of the hopper a dropping mechanism, a, which comprises a board or block, I), having a vertical central opening that registers in the opening in the bottom of the hopper, alongitudinal guideway, c, on the upper side of the block, a brush, (1, which is arranged transversely over the opening in the block, and a slide-rod, e, which is adapted to reciprocate in the gnideway. The said sliderod works through openings which are made in the front and rear walls of the hopper, and is provided with a cup or opening, 1'. A rockshaft, is then jonrnaled in the sides of the hopper, in lieu of the rock-shaft M, the said rock-shaft 9 having a crank, 71, which is connected to the front end of the pitman V. From the crank h the connecting-rodl extends forwardly, and is attached to the cross-bar k, which is attached to the front end of the slidebar. It will be understood from the foregoing that when the machine is drawn across the field the slide-rod will be reciprocated, the cup or recess in the rod will be filled with 1 grain from the hopper, and as the said rod I moves forwardly or backward] y the cup will pass under the brush, which will sweep off the superfluous grains from the cup, and when the latter aligns with the opening in the block b the grains will drop through the bottom of the hopper and into the spout, and be conveyed to the ground, as before.

If it be desired to use the machine as a cultivator, the rods R may be detached from the beams B and O, and the hopper and operating devices also detached therefrom, and suitble cultivatingshovels may be attached to the standards.

A machine thus constructed is extremely cheap and simple, is adapted for planting cotton or corn, and is also adapted for use as a plow or cultivator, and is thus extremely useful to agriculturists.

Having thus described my invention, I claim- 1. In a planter, the frame comprising the intermediate draft-beam, A, the rearwardlydiverging beams B and 0, attached to opposite sides of the beam A and projecting rearwardly beyondthesame, the hopper supported 011 the beams B and G in rear of the beam A and having the dischargeopening between the said beams B and O, the coverers attached to the latter, and the furrow-opener attached to the beam A, substantially as described.

'2. In a planter, the combination of the intermediate draft-beam, A, the furrow-opener attached thereto, the beam B, attached to one side of the draft-beam, the beam 0, hinged to the opposite side of the latter, the said beams B and O diverging rearwardly and having the covering-shovels, and the hopper supported on the beams B and O in rear of the beam A, substantially as described.

In tcsti mony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

RICHARD EDXVARD DRAPER.

\Vitnesses:

ROBERT C. PORTER, JOHN \V. ALFORD, 

